Eodem: A Rifle and Sword Adventure (Complete)

Chapter 53: Siege of Haringpoint

Unthinkable.

The valorous anthems of patriotism that trumped over the Imperial Capital's skylines became silent as plague hysteria gripped the city. Heralds had begun to grimly narrate the demise of the 22 Legions, the Dwarfen Volunteer Army and the Black Tree Expeditionary Force and the complete collapse of the Emperor Uldin's 'Dragon Wall' were heard all throughout the Slaegian's beating Heart. In place of Supply Caravans and Depots, refugees and survivors of the Otherworlder's attacks flooded the Capital as the Imperial Logistic systems were stretched well beyond its workable limits. Despair, anxiety, and disbelief flavored the mood of those who heard of the apocalyptic logs of the Heralds of how the 22 Legions, some of it not the best armies the Empire had to offer of brave men, capable commanders, valiant knights, and fearsome war beasts, were utterly decimated, routed and scattered to the dusted winds within the meager span of three days. Alboen had indeed returned to their world to unleash his bloody vengeance upon his transgressors. They overcame the treacherous impasse of Marnia's Bluff and the Dragon Wall, all such supposedly 'impenetrable defense' lay violated, exemplifying to the Slaegians that their strength was not enough to stem the Otherworldly Tide.

Accounts from the survivors were chaotic to put it into imagination bluntly speaking. However, what those erudite enough to piece together the hysteria from discernable fact painted a very grim image of the unholy capabilities that the invaders possess:

They speak of an unending deluge of metal beasts followed by green-skinned minions that march tirelessly over the Dragon Wall casting devastating magics that obliterated their defenses in a fraction of a blinking eye. No matter how hard they try to push back, their weapons, their magics their armor broke, dissipate, and fell before the incoming flood of Otherworlders who mercilessly slaughtered the valiant martyrs of the Dragon Wall. Even if one has given the providence of surviving the initial assault attempt find the sanctuary amidst darkness and ruins would not be able to protect them. As in one different account from a Grey Order Mage stated: The Demons have seemed to have an advanced means of scrying the battlefield for whatever hapless survivors who managed to survive their initial attacks to be an easy feast for their drones of thralls to toy and slay as they please. Those who managed to run swiftly enough or were fortunate to attain a head start to flee north being the bulk of the refugees arriving in Haringpoint.

The Empire, in reaction to this development, scrambled desperately to aid the survivors and funnel through additional, albeit subpar reinforcements to what few holdouts were left consisting off

To make such dire tidings even grimmer, the Demons had managed to subjugate the aid of various faction's hostile to the Slaegian Empire or had held a grudge against recording back generations from the Daosne Centaur Beastmen, Goblin Tribesmen, and the most dreadful of all, the Father of Necromancy and the most Profane of Act of Vampirism, King Martainne the Lich King. Creating a Triumvirate of all of the Empire's most hated of enemies under the enthralling banner of the Otherworlder's Many-Ringed Star. Some Grey Order Scouts even state that they even spotted the traitorous Karliah with the Shareholder and the Corrupted Elven Princess amongst the invading horde, slaying uncountable multitudes of the Empire's Finest with ruthless glee.

The Legion's Generals, in spite of this, eased such fears being beset upon the Emperor and the other Plebians of Haringpoint that they can still salvage whatever survivors that they know can still be rescued back into the safety of the Capital's protective bastion. They just need time to re-establish a form of cohesion with those who are left. They could still count on the salvation of both Elven Nations of the Entente and the Pact, knowing the latter, led by one of the Black Elven Anstrustriones' of the Crimson Lancer Lord Vokhol is holding his own as ordered. The former, arriving much later after an unfortunate delay at sea. Once they can rally whatever is left of the Legions and get more men levied from around the Empire they can, Gods willing, a counterattack.